Entertainment NewsWhy Aren't British Filmmakers Casting Black Actors?

Why Aren’t British Filmmakers Casting Black Actors?

Date:

A new report from the British Film Institute, nearly 60 percent of all the movies made in the past 10 years feature zero black actors.

According to the report, 59% of British films made over the last 10 years featured no black actors in named speaking roles. In fact, just 13% of all movies had a black actor in a lead role.

In addition, U.K. has a history of casting the same black actors over the past ten years. As a result, only 15 black actors had played two or more lead roles in British films.

This news should not be that surprising. Idris Elba recently gave a speech to the U.K’s Parliament urging for filmmakers to give Black actors an opportunity in the film industry.  Elba told The Guardian: “I knew I wasn’t going to land a lead role. I knew there wasn’t enough imagination in the industry for me to be seen as a lead. In other words, if I wanted to star in a British drama like Luther, then I’d have to go to a country like America. And the other thing was, because I never saw myself on TV, I stopped watching TV. Instead I just decided to go out and become TV.”

What do you think? Discuss this story with fellow Project Casting fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @projectcasting.

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Megan Diane
Megan Dianehttps://www.projectcasting.com
Hi, I'm Megan Browne, the Head of Partnerships at Project Casting - a job board for the entertainment industry. As Head of Partnerships, I help businesses find the best talent for their influencer campaigns, photo shoots, and film productions. Creating these partnerships has enabled me to help businesses scale and reach their true potential. I'm excited to continue driving growth by connecting people with projects they're passionate about.

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